Mohammad Naim's First BPL Century Guides Khulna Tigers to Crucial Win

In a thrilling encounter, Khulna Tigers’ opener Mohammad Naim Sheikh scored his first-ever BPL century, leading his team to a massive total of 220/4 against Rangpur Riders. Naim’s brilliant knock of 111* off 62 balls, including 7 fours and 8 sixes, helped Khulna surpass the 200-run mark, setting a daunting target of 221 for Rangpur.

Despite a valiant fifty from Rangpur’s opener Soumya Sarkar (74 off 48), Khulna’s bowlers kept the pressure on, defeating Rangpur by 46 runs and keeping their playoff hopes alive. This loss for Rangpur marked their fourth consecutive defeat after an impressive 8-match winning streak earlier in the tournament.

Khulna Tigers needed a big win to stay in contention for a playoff spot, and they achieved that with this thrilling victory. They now face a tough challenge ahead, needing to win their remaining two matches, against Rangpur Riders and Dhaka Capitals, and by big margins, to secure a place in the playoffs.

In the match, Khulna’s captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz contributed with a quickfire 21 off 12 balls, but it was Naim Sheikh who stole the show. Partnering with William Bosisto, who scored 36 off 21 balls, Naim played an explosive knock, reaching his century in just 55 balls, marking a personal milestone in the BPL.

Towards the end of the innings, Mahidul Islam Ankon added some quick runs, scoring 29 off 15 balls before being dismissed in the final over. Naim remained unbeaten, guiding Khulna to a total of 220/4.

Chasing 221, Rangpur Riders got off to a shaky start with Toufiqul Khan Tushar dismissed for just 9 runs. Saif Hasan could only manage 6 runs, and the middle order crumbled under pressure. Khulna’s pacer Mushfiq Hasan, returning from injury, made a key breakthrough by dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed for 19 runs.

Soumya Sarkar fought valiantly, scoring a half-century off 31 balls, but lacked support from the other end. Sheikh Mehedi gave a brief cameo of 27 runs, but Mohammad Nawaz took two quick wickets, removing Mehedi and Rangpur’s captain Nurul Hasan Sohan for a duck.

Soumya continued his fight, but his efforts were in vain as he was bowled out by Hasan Mahmud for 74, leaving Rangpur struggling at 174/9. Despite a late flurry of wickets, Rangpur was all out in 20 overs, handing Khulna Tigers a 46-run victory.

With this win, Khulna Tigers have kept their playoff hopes alive, but they need to win their next two games convincingly to secure a spot in the top four.